Underground conduit for electric conductors



(NOMOdeL) 2`Sheetsv-Shet l. J. 1..MUNSIE.

UNDERGROUND GONDUIT EUR ELECTRIC GONDUGTORS. E

110.856,151. 1 I Patented Jan. 18,1887.

N. PETERS Phoen-Lhogmpmr, wasiungtam D. C.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. I. MUNSIE.

UNDERGROUND GONDUIT POR ELECTRIC OONDUGTDRS.

110.356.151. Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

N. PETERS, Plmm-Lllhngmplmr. Waihixmlen. Dv C,

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE..

.IAMES F. MUNSIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNDERGROUND CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,151, dated January18, ll 887.

Application filed July 30, 1886.

T @ZZ whom it may concern- Be it knownthat I, JAMEs F. MUNsIE, a Britishsubject, residing at Chicago, in the county ot' Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inUnderground Condnits for Electric Conductors, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

'The principal object of my present invention is to provide within anundergroundconduit system for electric conductors means by which theWires or cables extending through each duct of such system may bedistributed for operative purposes to the best possible advantage, tothis and other ends, as will fur ther appear, the" same consisting inthe several matters hereinafter set forth, and pointed outin theappended claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan detail ot' a conduitstation or well with its cover removed, substantially illustrating` mysaid invention and its operative connection with the main line anddistributing branches of the system, which are likewise shown, thestation or well being arranged and adapted, as a matter of preference,to a conduit provided With a series of wire or cable duetsorcompartments. Fig. 2 is a longitut'linal section of said station or Welland main line of conduit taken upon the lineX Xof said Fig. l. Fig. 3 isa transverse section of the construction shown in said Fig. 1, beingtaken upon the line Y Y thereof. Fig. 4 is a side elevation (in partbroken away) of the station or Well and one of the distributing branchesshown in Fig. l, said view being taken on the line Z Z thereof. Fig. 5is a transverse scction of the main conduit, taken upon the line V V ofsaid Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating one of the plates shown inFigs. l and 2, employed for covering the sub compartments of the uppercompartment, E, ot' the station or Well B. 7

At suitable points through the length ot' the conduit are located iniixed connection therewith stations or wells B, from which project wiredistributing or diverging branches C of the main line A. Within saidstation or Well Bis located a U-shaped diaphragm or sub- Serial No.209,535.15. (No model.)

well, b, of smaller dimensions, which divides the same into distinctivecompartments, as

shown, the inner compartment or sub-Well being divided by verticalspacing-ribs or partitions dinto sub-compartments D, which extendlongitudinally parallel with the main line of conduit and formcontinuations or extensions through the station of the chiots or 60compartments a thereof, and the outer compartment, B', being divided byspacing-ribs` b into subcompartn-ients or ducts b',whieh extend in adirection transverse the ruiming direction Lof said sub-compartments Dto the points of connection with the Well B of they diverging or thedistributing branches C of the conduit. Within said chamber b3, andsupported at a suitable distance above the door thereof, preferably bystandards b5, is 7o located a frame, b, which sustains bindingpostboardsE, the spaces Within which said boards are located beingcontinuations of said subcompartments D, and being designated as subcompartments E, whichare closed by means of removable plates F, adaptedand arranged each to cover one of the said subcompartments thereof.Freni each sub-compartmentD an opening or passage, b", is ent-'eredthrough the iioor thereof into a corresponding duct or 8osub-coniipartment, b. To the mouth of the station or well B is adapted acover, G,`Which may be secured in position by any preferred means.Contiguous to said'compartments b',

but isolated therefrom, is extended around S5 said station or Well'Bcompartments or duets B2, (provided, when not employed for operativepurposes, with removable caps or covers, not showm) said compartments orducts being intended and arranged to connect with sub- 9o conduits orother suitable auxiliaries to the main system, When necessary ordesirable, for the purpose hereinafter described.

In the main conduit A,I preferably employ spacing-ribs a', for thepurpose of dividing the 95 In the distributing branches vIook directionopposite to that of said other compartments.

The ofiice of each particular feature of my invention will readily becomprehended from the following description of its operation: Vires orcables running without deflection through the system pass into andathwart the station or well through the subcompartments D of thesub-well bi, each particular class or series or system of wires orcables being contained, in passing through said chamber, in acompartment or compartments which separate the same from those ofanother class. \Vhen it becomes necessary to change the runningdirection of a wire or cable, the same is run downwardly from itscompartment within said chamber b3, through one ofthe passages oropenings b4, into a corresponding lower compartment or duct, Z/,andthence into the proper distributing branches C. Preliminary to enter ingindividual wires or cables into the said lower compartments, b', (unlessno benefit would be derived from arranging them for testing purposeswithin the station or well-as, for instance, if the wires containedwithin a cable were to be separated for distribution purposes at a pointbeyond said station or well,) the same would be connected tobinding-posts forming part ofthe boards E,and thence passed downwardinto and through said lower compartments or ducts, b', into saiddiverging or distributing branches.

Within the compartments or ducts B2, I locate dead-wires 3. (Shownparticularly in Figs. l and 3 as projecting from the ends thereof.) Tothese compartments or ducts, as occasion may require, servicevpipescontaining electric-light wires are attached, and the wires containedtherein connected with said dead-wires 3, thus enabling the intersectingof the conduit in the operation of transverse-running wires, which areessential to the economical operation of a lighting system, andobviating the under running of the conduit.

The compartments or ducts B2 are isolated from the interior of thestation or well and the chamber b3, in order to absolutely separatewires of a very high potential from other wires, the utility ot' whichmight otherwise be greatly impaired-thereby. While I have shown thecompartments or ducts B2 as forming part of the well B, or beingatt-ached thereto, the same may be attached to or form part of theconduit system intermediate s'aid stations or wells, or at any desirablepoint or points throughout the system.

with an inner chamber or sub-well, b3, the in- I terior of which forms acontinuation or exten-A sion through said station of the duct or ductscomposing the conduit to which it is connected, and an outercompartment, B', forming one or more ducts, b', which extend to or aboutthe point or points of connection with said station of the diverging ordistributing .branches C of the conduit, said duct or ducts b beingconnected with the duct or ducts formed by or interior of the chamber orsub Well b3, each by a suitable opening, b, formed through the iioor ofsaid chamber, all arranged and adapted to be operated substantially asand for the purposes described.

2. In a conduit system for electric conduct` ors, a distributing stationor well, B, provided with an inner chamber or sub-well, b3, and acompartment, B', contiguous thereto, provided with a suitable number ofdistributing-ducts, b, which are connected with the interior of saidchamber or sub-well b3, each by an opening or passage, b4, formedthrough the door of said chamber or sub-well, the whole being soconstructed and arranged that wires or cables passing th rough theconduit to which said station or well is connected may bc cntered intosaid chamber or sub-well b, and thence into and through a distributingduct or ducts, b', into a diverging or distributing branch or branchesofthe system, substantially as described.

3. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the transversely-located electric-lightwire ducts B2, constructed, arranged, and adaptedto form part of the stations or wells B, or of the conduit intermediatesaid stations or wells, or both, and to be connected with auxiliaryelectric-light-wire conduits or service pipes, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

JAMES F. MUNSIE.

Vitnesses:

FANNIE A. Casa, Gno. W. LnvrN.

IOO

